A youth activist in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Israel Venunye, said comments of ex-President John Mahama accepting responsibility for the party’s poor showing in the 2016 elections “was not satisfying and does not show any sense of remorse”.
Former President Mahama in accepting full responsibility for the embarrassing defeat said: “Of course as the general who led us into battle, I take ultimate responsibility for our losing the election and so if it will satisfy those people, blame me for the loss”.
However, reacting to aspects of the comments, Mr Vununye said there is lack of candour in the comments of the former president, adding that for him to add that “if it will satisfy those people” means that he has not fully accepted responsibility for the party’s performance.
The youth activist argued that leadership is about genuinely admitting failure and giving hope to numerous members of the party that are devastated by the humiliating defeat.
“People are hurt in the party after the 2016 elections and what they expect now is someone who will give them hope not weak justification as done by the former President.
“The party now is in the state of hopelessness and from the polling station executive through the branch executives to the national executives, what they need is a leader who can inspire them with hope as done in 2004 when the party lost power in the 2000, it was hope that kept the spirit of the party together.”
The obviously angry NDC youth activist told the host of Onua FM morning show Bright Kwesi Asempa that while in government, “we conveniently and happily pleasing the opposition NPP by giving fat contracts to members of the NPP, then parading them at the state of the nation address in Parliament to the chagrin of our party members”.
He explained that the current administration is busily appointing those who helped it capture power, which is a clear distinction of NDC in power.
Meanwhile, the youth activist is optimistic that soon hope and confidence will be restored in the party.
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